Eight premieres History Detectives Special Investigations, solving America’s mysteries – July 1 at 8 p.m.

Eight invites fans to join in history hunt exploring America’s most intriguing mysteries

PHOENIX — (May 28, 2014) Eight, Arizona PBS presents a captivating new season of History Detectives Special Investigations, a cutting-edge take on a PBS favorite that will introduce the fresh perspective of a new detective while tackling some of the nation’s most baffling unsolved cases, July 1 at 8 p.m. Season Eleven kicks off with veteran detectives Tukufu Zuberi and Wes Cowan joining forces with new host Kaiama Glover to ask probing questions behind a single iconic mystery from America's past. What was behind the tragic sinking of the SS Sultana at the end of the American Civil War, one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history? Can we solve the mystery of one of the country’s first recorded serial killings, the Austin Servant Girl Murders of the 1880s? Who really killed Jimmy Hoffa and why? And what led to the mysterious vanishing of big band leader Glenn Miller during World War II? The HDSI team brings modern forensic science and leading tools together to solve these lasting puzzles. As the detectives discover new evidence, sift through clues and crisscross the country in search of answers, they uncover fresh leads and information to tell some of America’s most intriguing stories from a new angle.

“History Detectives has remained one of Eight’s most requested programs for 10 seasons, continuing to solve the mysteries behind viewers’ cherished artifacts,” says Nancy Southgate, associate general manager of content for Eight, Arizona PBS. “Now, the beloved series will take our viewers beyond the objects in their basements and attics and provide them with a rich investigation of their nation’s history.”

The hosts of History Detectives Special Investigations include:

• Wesley Cowan, independent appraiser and auctioneer;
• Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania; and
• Kaiama Glover, professor of literature of the French-speaking Caribbean and sub-Saharan West African cinema at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Episode descriptions:
“Civil War Sabotage” – Tuesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. Investigate the sinking of SS Sultana, one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history.

“The Disappearance of Glenn Miller” – Tuesday, July 8 at 8 p.m.

Gather new information about what is perhaps the biggest cold case of World War II.

“Texas Servant Girl Murders” – Tuesday, July 15 at 8 p.m.

Follow the inquiry into a string of grisly unsolved murders in Austin, Texas, in 1885.

 “Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa?” – Tuesday, July 22 at 8 p.m.

Explore Teamsters president Hoffa’s final days, with a window on the post-war era labor movement.

Media Contact:  Colleen O’Donnell Pierce
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About Arizona PBS

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Arizona PBS is a member-supported community service of Arizona State University and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.